AK'n IT - Turnagain Pass to Valdez

Given Colorado's worst ski season on record, K and I were about to hang up the snowboards for life.  Man do we owe it to the AK, if it weren't for the two Radtadicle trips to the Chugach this season we probably would of become year around climbers:)  This trip we brought with us an AK newbie...can we have a round of applause for Drew Ignizio (aka Rack City) Drew provided us with this theme song (edited version) for the 12 day trip, by the end of the trip we were all mathematical whizzes :)

The month of March provided us with what I like to call CODE BLUE conditions.  That's blue bird in AK tongue.  Unlike CO, AK doesn't get 365 days of blue bird sunshine.  And when it days...well sound the alarms and get after it!  Ill let the pics do the rest of the talking:)

NOTE: clicking images will result in clearer / larger images

March 17th, AK style - "The Irish Stout" packed in and consumed on the summit of cornbiscuit Peak
oh ya that's Drew for those who don't recognize 

Breaking through the Inversion - spent all morning in low visibility conditions, then once above the clouds...CODE BLUE

Well above the clouds - Kickstep Peak from the summit of Sunburst

Our previous days work still lies visible -  On this epic day we ride back below the clouds, then head over to the pk in the far background (Pastoral) for some UNTOUCHED BEAUTY!

"The best day skiing of all time" - per Chip Serns coming off Pastoral Pk

CHU CHU CHUGACH - This view would make anyone stutter - from near Pastoral's summit

The Pastoral crew + Chip behind the camera

Cracked Ice - The highpoint just below the sun, 4300 vertical feet right back to the car door:)

Drew & Python

Cracked Ice summit shot

Rack City himself

Noel - notice the figures on the saddle in background, they were intending to drop on Cracked Ice summit, but when the pilot saw us earning our turns he dropped them off on another sector - we saw the pilot back at the parking lot as he waited for his clients

K making it look purty

Matthu Pitchu Arena - High above Port Valdez, our days goal (pt 4572') is behind the pointed peak at 11 o'clcok

Gaining the summit of point 4572' - about to get our ski to sea on

Annie of the Ptarmigan B&B - Its our second stay with her in Valdez, cant wait til the next.   She even sent us back to Anchorage with a huge hunk of Moose :) YUM

Til next ski AK season:)

An Orange Colorado = 3 C's - Berthoud Pass, CO

Current Danger Rose
Front Range
2 / 17 / 2012

Had a wonderful day in the backcountry today near Berthoud Pass with Brian.  Friday am the CAIC released a special statement through Monday (see below) highlighting the Considerable   Avalanche Danger across the entire state, following the second avalanche related death in less then a week.

See CAIC accident reports here

• 2/13: Contention Fingers, Bear Creek, Telluride 
• 2/16: Gibbs Creek, Near Wolf Creek Pass

 

 When I see the orange Considerable its time for the 3 c's:  careful snowpack evaluation, cautious rout-finding and conservative decision-making.   It's possible to enjoy yourself out there.  (Just ask Brian or see a pic below)  Please be careful out there!!!         



 

Special Statement 2/17/2012 - 2/20/2012

The Colorado Avalanche Information Center is issuing a Special Avalanche Statement for the mountains of Colorado this morning. This Special Statement will remain in effect through the upcoming weekend.

There have been two avalanche fatalities in Colorado since February 13th. This brings avalanche fatalities to 6 for the season. Over the last week seven people have been caught in avalanches. Two people have been seriously injured and required hospital care.  Very large avalanches have been reported across the state.
This trend is expected to continue through the holiday weekend. Do not let the upcoming holiday weekend or the nice weather in any way fool you into thinking the avalanche conditions are anything but very serious across Colorado.

Brian finding the Fun in Conservative Terrain - Berthoud Pass

Epic Dump to Touch and Go Conditions - The Chugach

AK oh AK how I love thou snow...
now please now please stop hogging it... and lend some to my CO.

Days 1 & 2:

• epic reso riding and night skiing after reaching the bar's limit on Fizzes:)

Days 3, 4 & 5:

• Subaru driveway skating, ski touring in the summit lake and turnagain pass sectors of the Chugach, followed by drinks and eats with AK peeps in Girdwood

So a week in AK proved to be all but long enough, especially with the complicated weather patterns they have been in. The entire month of January the average temp in Anchorage was 2.7 degrees! Now that's a little cold. However things warmed up once we arrived :) The snow also continued to dump. The night we flew in 30+ inches fell at Turnagain Pass and Alyeska ski resort. The next day an additional 2 feet dropped. Making Friday like Thursday, a mandatory resort day. While enjoying Vodka fizz's (secret recipe...read at bottom of page) at the mountain top bar at the end of the day you could hear the buzz from many Girdwood locals: things like "that was the best day this season, shit that was the best day in 30 years"!!! It surely hit the top on my list for best reso day ever! I'm pretty sure the word epic was created for the riding we experienced last Friday! I will leave it at that because trying to explain it wouldn't do a justice. Another way to look at it....it was so good I didn't take a single photo:)

After the dump we were itching to get out in the backcountry, however stability remained an issue the entire time, due to things like: 120 mile an hour winds recorded by Sunburst's weather station, temperature increases and heavy wet snow. We played it conservative with lower angles and lower elevations. At last it was AK, where even the low angle stuff is awesome!

We return in less then a month for 2 weeks! Heading to Thompson's Pass and Valdez! Bring it! Hopefully a few more ski pics will be provided from next trip, either it was to much fun or just too much Grey / Flat light.

A look up Glacier Creek at Milk Glacier - Girdwood Valley (surrounded by 7 permanent glaciers)

Seattle Creek from across the Turnagain Arm of the Cook Inlet

Mad Dawg look or Chewing? - Summit Lake sector
We toured Manitoba peak in the background on Day 5

Spirit Walker Pk recon pic 1: from Day 5 tour on Manitoba Pk

Goofin or Petrified of the sketchy bridge crossing? - Crossing Canyon Creek on the way to Manitoba Pk
Also joined by friends Gina and Chip - Fellow NMers

Caught the full moon rising over Manitoba Ridge - after a long tour up Manitoba peak. Congrats to Gina for her first split board tour :)

Spirit Walker recon pic 2: From Day 3 tour on Fresno Ridge
Conditions permitting would be nice to visit the spirit walker in March

Sunset Over the Arm - Day 6 as we head to the airport

PS: The 7 Glaciers Restaurant (Alyeska mountain top bar)...aka 7-G's....well anyway Kristin has cracked the secret recipe! After years of attempts by her and friends and drunken begging for hints from cute waitresses, she did it back in Golden. I was able to test it at 0700am after getting off from work. And i concur, its been cracked!!!!

Costa Rica - Todd and Zette get Hitched!

Last week we could of been stuck in CO, in the cold, without any snow to play in....nope not true instead we were in Costa Rica exposing our winter white skin to 94 degree UV rays.  Oh ya and by the way we also got to be a part of Todd and Suzzette's amazing wedding at the all-inclusive Hilton Papagayo Resort in Playa Panama....Ill save all the details, emotional reflections, total count of Guapirinha's and ceviche plates consumed.  Let's just say it was a RAD wedding.

My two favorite things about CR:

1. Guapirinha: Costa Rica's version of the well known Brazilian caipirinha.  Go to any CR bar and hold up four fingers to the bartender and before you know it you'll be presented with the Guapirinha a sugar cane based rum (Cacique Guaro) drink with about a pound of muddled limes.  
2. Ceviche: a central american traditional dish usually made from raw fish or mollusks marinated in citrus juices for around 24 hours prior to serving.  Pretty sure we averaged 2-4 ceviche plates a day while in CR; seabass, marlin, swordfish, shrimp...

Kristin and I did a bit of exploring for the few days we had after the wedding.  We hitched a ride with Rob and Leah into Liberia (the largest town of Guanacaste province of Costa Rica).  From Liberia we planned on catching some transportation to Rincon de la Vieja. We later found out from the hostel host that the national park is closed on Monday's. Plan B was to make our way to the local bus station and explore our options.  Liberia not being much of a tourist destination, tends to lack English speaking Costa Rican's... Thank goodness I had my personal translator with me.  I cant tell you how many times K saved the day.  I'm pretty sure I would of either paid 200 dollars for a 2 dollar bus fair or ended up on a bus to Panama.  So we ended up on a two hour bus ride with the locals down to Tamarindo to spend a day and a half playing on the beach, searching for nesting leatherback sea turtles by headlamp and eating grilled lobster with our feet in the sand.

Sorry for the lack of pics, camera battery died shortly after all the wedding pics :(

I present to you:    Todd and Suzzette Conner

Doesn't need a Caption - oops just got one :)

Da Boys

Me lovely lady - isn't she just gorgeous

If only you could see what she is blocking :)

Taken while sipping a Guapirinha on the beach in Tamarindo

Black Spiny-tailed Iguana of Costa Rica - costa rica's version of a stray dog